Children’s Book Recommendations

Air Date:
Heard On The Larry Meiller Show
Assistant teacher D'onna Hartman reads to two young boys.
In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, assistant teacher D’onna Hartman reads to Frederick Frenious, left, and Gus Saunders at the Creative Kids Learning Center, a school that focuses on pre-kindergarten for 4- and 5-year-olds, in Seattle. Elaine Thompson/AP Photo

Having problems finding good books for the children on your gift list? We get recommendations from a children’s book expert.

What’s your favorite book to give a child? What new children’s book would you recommend? Why do you like to give books as gifts?

Featured in this Show

  • A Librarian's 2017 Children's Book Recommendations

    You might be a grown-up who still loves leafing through “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Charlotte’s Web.” Or maybe you’re a parent trying to nudge your nonreader a little bit, or encourage your bookworm even more.

    No matter where you are on that spectrum, Kathleen Horning has a recommendation for you. Horning is the director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and was a librarian for years before that.

    “One of the great thing about contemporary children’s books is there’s something for everyone,” Horning told WPR’s “The Larry Meiller Show.”

    Here are some of Horning’s favorite children’s and young adult books from 2017.

    For The Youngest Readers

    Kevin Heknes: “In the Middle of Fall” and “Egg

    These are two delightful new books from the author of the classic “Chrysanthemum,” a book about a little mouse with a long name, and the Caldecott Award- and Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor-winning “Waiting.”

    “He is just so good at writing picture books for young children. His art is amazing, and his writing is amazing,” Horning said.

    Jerry Pinkney: “The Three Billy Goats Gruff

    Pinkney is another award-winning children’s book author, and in this book he tells the classic “Three Billy Goats Gruff” tale.

    “Jerry Pinkney is, I think, one of the most gifted picture book artists. (He draws) realistic animals who are not exactly acting like animals. And his troll is very troll-like,” she said.

    Although the book sticks mostly to the traditional story, there is a bit of a fun twist at the end, and plenty of onomatopoeia, Horning said.

    For Late-Elementary, Early-Middle School Readers

    Lauren Wolk: “Beyond the Bright Sea

    “Beyond the Bright Sea” is about a little girl named Crow. Her caretaker, Osh, found her floating in a little boat when she was no more than a few days old. Crow is getting older, though, and she wants to know where she same from.

    “‘Beyond the Bright Sea’ is what I think of as an old-fashioned children’s book that you can sink into. It’s got really beautiful descriptive passages of what it’s like living next to the sea,” Horning said.

    Darcy Miller: “Roll

    “We’re always really interested in Wisconsin authors at the CCBC, but also, we’re interested in first novels,” Horning said.

    This debut novel by a Wisconsin author is about a boy named Ren and a friendship he strikes up with a neighbor. Ren’s dad wants him to be an athlete, so he starts running cross country, even though he’s not all that interested in it. Ren starts noticing a big flock of birds in the sky above him on his runs — so he follows them to their source: a girl named Sutton, who’s training them for a competition.

    For The Teenaged Readers

    Steve Sheinkin: “Undefeated

    “Undefeated” tells the story of the famed Olympian football player Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School football team.

    But this book is more than just a biography. Sheinkin delves into the politics of Native American boarding schools and profiles Pop Warner, the team’s coach, as well as several members of the team besides Thorpe.

    “For football fans on your holiday list, this would be a great book, because there is so much about football in it. I hadn’t realized that so many things we take for granted in football were actually invented by the athletes at the Carlisle Indian School: running around all the people trying to tackle you, the forward pass, kicking a field goal longer than 20 feet,” Horning said.

Episode Credits

  • Larry Meiller Host
  • Jill Nadeau Producer
  • Kathleen Horning Guest

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